Sway Control Mounting Question

[ZachO]

I'm about to finish this, and just wanted to get some insight first.



The directions obviously say to drill 6 holes and mount this plate/ball with all 6 screws.

My only hesitation is that when I was installing the airbags in the rear suspension of my truck, both my owners manual and the the Firestone Airbag kit say not to drill holes in a parallel line, vertically. This obviously compromises the structural strength.

So...is this not as big a deal with a camper frame? Other people who have something like this on their trailer have had no problems?

Just double checking before I drill those holes...

Thanks.

[Darwin Maring]

Personally, I would follow the directions on the product I am installing, not instructions on a different product.

[ZachO]

I hear you, but if the owners manual of a truck says to not do something, I'm going to hesitate before following the instructions on an aftermarket product which contradict this.

Unfortunately as most of us know, the owners "manuals" for most of our campers don't really tell us anything. So whether or not they think I can drill two holes right on top of each other on the frame isn't clear.

Thanks.

[Jack L]

Any reason this could not be welded to the frame ?

[floyd]

I think you ought to weld the plate to the tongue, especially when the tongue is square tubing. A small MIG works great for this purpose.

[ZachO]

Ok, maybe that's the way I'll go. Just means I'll have to wait a couple more months. You can see the rust on my frame. I have a POR15 kit all ready, but it says that above 70 degrees is optimal.

We're only in the 40s and 50s right now with a little rain or snow forecasted every day. So I don't want to permanently attach anything before I can get some days in the 70s and paint the tongue.

Thanks.

[honda03842]

We had our's bolted to the trailer's frame, I believe four bolts. In 6 years there was never a problem. However the first time we were near a welder we had it welded to the frame.

[ZachO]

Funny thing, I left for a bbq 10 minutes after my last post, and met a guy there who offered to weld it for me.

[CampyTime]

Great! Small world, eh?!


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[Wayne Collins]

[QUOTE=ZachO;575934]I'm about to finish this, and just wanted to get some insight first.

Attachment 93324

The directions obviously say to drill 6 holes and mount this plate/ball with all 6 screws.

My only hesitation is that when I was installing the airbags in the rear suspension of my truck, both my owners manual and the the Firestone Airbag kit say not to drill holes in a parallel line, vertically. This obviously compromises the structural strength.

So...is this not as big a deal with a camper frame? Other people who have something like this on their trailer have had no problems? ]

Any welding should be done along the top and bottom of the bracket, NOT across the ends. And, be sure the welder does not undercut at the corners and make a weak spot that can start a crack in the A Frame. If it's already done, you can maybe add more weld metal, and grind it smooth so it leaves no notches.

I bolted mine on, but, again, keep the holes away from the corners of the frame tube. I used self tapping screws so only drilled through the outside side of the frame. I added two more holes in the bracket so it has a row in the center and one along the top. Then lowered to bracket, to have the holes in the frame near the middle of the tubing.

[ZachO]

Unfortunately the way the holes line up, they're right at the edge, i.e. corners, of the tubing...The frame is just too narrow I guess. The sway control kit came with self tapping screws, so I'm definitely only drilling a hole in one side of the tubing.

I'll talk more with the guy about welding. He grew up fixing people's boat trailers so hopefully he has a pretty good sense of what should/shouldn't be done.

Thanks.

[Dan Meyer]

I drilled all the holes and installed the screws. It has not had any issues for the last 14 plus years.

YMMV, etc.

--Dan Meyer

[ZachO]

Great, thanks. Probably there just isn't the stress on the frame of a trailer, out on the tongue, that there is on a truck frame.

I "assume" that it's fine, but really just wanted to hear from a few people on this before doing something that I knew my truck owners manual specifically said not to do, because it would weaken the frame.

[redbarron55]

If you want to be certain and had a welder to work I would look into putting some fish plated at the "bend-in" where the frame narrows and top and bottom where the sway bracket mounts.
The more important would be at the bends where most of the trailers with problems have their cracks.